


Don't bet on love

by AmaliaIR



Series: Drabbles [37]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M, Multi, Polyamory, Triple Threat Triad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-10
Updated: 2019-06-10
Packaged: 2020-04-24 04:27:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19165804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmaliaIR/pseuds/AmaliaIR
Summary: Theo and Blaise make a bet about Ron Weasley.





	Don't bet on love

It started as a bet. A stupid bet, mind you. A stupid, drunken bet that no one should have let them make, but of course no one had been around at the point because Theo and Blaise had the highest alcohol tolerance in their year.

I'm Blaise's defense, it was the first day back for their 8th year and they had just learned that Weasley had gotten ridiculously fit, so what else could they do but bet on who could seduce the unsuspecting Gryffindor first.

The very next morning Blaise walked into the Great Hall to see Theo sitting by the Gryffindor table, casually talking up to Ron as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Blaise couldn't be left behind like that, so later that day during Transfiguration he got to the classroom early and managed to sit next to Ron before any of his friends.

"You should have seen his face when our knees knocked together under the table," Theo bragged later in the common room after everyone else had gone to bed.

Blaise rolled his eyes. "Well, I sat through the entire lesson with him and 'accidentally' touched his time many times. He was quite nervous."

"That's because you're threatening, not because he likes you."

"I'm... Threatening?"

Theo's expression softened. "Well, more like intimidating."

Blaise smiled.

Things only escalated from then onwards. It took a while for both of them to convince Weasley that they didn't have anything bad up their sleeves, but since a lot of other people in their years were being more friendly with other houses it sort of made sense eventually. Pansy, Draco, Potter and Granger had also become unlikely friends, and sometimes all of them would spend time together. Blaise and Theo had agreed to keep the flirting to a minimum in these situations, though, but Blaise still adored the tension he felt whenever he entered a room with both Theo and Ron inside.

"Today he mentioned how good my cologne smelled," Blaise said during his and Theo's usual Ron Weasley recap in the common room after hours.

"Yeah?" Theo replied. "Well, we got partnered in potions so good luck trying to hog all of his time now that we're going to meet in empty classrooms to do our project."

Blaise scoffed. "He'll be forced to spend time with you to do schoolwork. He's going to willingly want to spend time with me on his free time. Because I smell amazing."

Theo scooted closer with narrowed eyes and breathed in the air around Blaise. "You don't smell that great."

Blaise moved even closer, their legs touching. "I'm not Pansy, Theo. I don't need to make the whole corridor smell of my cheap perfume. It's subtle and only for those I want to get close enough."

Blaise saw Theo blinking slowly and that small action somehow made his heart speed up. "You're telling me Ron was  _this_  close to you?"

Blaise might have exaggerated his interaction with Ron today, but he nodded nonetheless because Theo would have no way of knowing.

Theo hummed and locked eyes with Blaise only for a moment before he quickly got to his feet. "I think I'll go to sleep."

From that moment Blaise began to wonder if perhaps this bet wasn’t the best idea for his and Theo’s friendship, but neither of them seemed to want to stop. They were not only spending more and more time together with Ron on separate occasions but also spending a lot of time together as well. Blaise was very surprised at himself for not feeling jealous once, even though he had thought he was a jealous person. At one point he even lied to Professor Sprout about where Theo was when class started and he didn’t show up, because he knew he and Ron were who-knows-where doing their potions project.

Blaise got a rare afternoon alone with Ron when he volunteered them both to go to Hogsmade and pick up the alcohol for the 8th year Halloween party happening that weekend. It was worth it just for the moment where Blaise caught Ron checking him out as he reached for some of the firewhiskey bottles on the top shelf. 

“I heard you’re really good at holding your liquor,” Ron said as they were heading back to the castle.

“Really?” Blaise smirked. “Where did you hear that?”

Ron’s cheeks reddened a bit. It was very easy to make him blush. Rather adorable, actually. “From Theo.”

“Oh.” It hadn’t actually occurred to Blaise that Ron and Theo might talk about him when they were alone together. He wondered if it happened a lot. “He’s rather good at that himself too.”

Ron smiled. “You two are best friends, right?”

For some reason, Blaise didn’t like that term, but he shrugged nonetheless. “Well, we have been close ever since our first year.”

“Like me and Harry,” Ron said. 

Blaise took a moment to answer. “No. Not really.”

.

Blaise was in the common room awake well past midnight as usual, what wasn't usual was that Theo wasn't there with him. Blaise had been waiting for hours but he hadn't arrived yet. He knew he was out with Ron, but he didn't know any details like... Were they alone? What were they doing? How come it was taking him so long to get back?

And why did he care so much?

Finally, Theo entered through the door, a big stupid grin on his face and twinkle in his eye. He sat next to Blaise and didn't say a word.

"Well?!" Blaise asked impatiently.

“Oh? You’re waiting for me to tell you all about my date with Ron?” He teased.

“Date?” Blaise repeated. “Don’t be absurd.”

“Then why do you think he invited me to the Astronomy Tower?”

Blaise’s jaw dropped. “You went to the  _Astronomy Tower_?” It was well-known that it was the place to take someone when you were interested in them.

Theo nodded, but suddenly he was less cocky and Blaise could tell the way his lips curled up was genuine. “We kissed.”

Blaise had absolutely no idea how to answer. He should have. For months they have been playing this game and it was only a matter of time before one of them actually ended up doing something real with Ron. And it turned out to be Theo.

When Blaise didn’t answer, Theo’s smile disappeared. “You’re not angry, are you?”

Blaise tried to gather his feelings to know what he felt, but they were all over the place. “Why would I be angry? So you and Ron kissed. That’s okay. I mean, it doesn’t mean you’ve won yet. I can still sway him back to my side.”

Theo frowned. “Your side? You really want to keep going with this? He kissed me. He sat next to me and pulled me by my robes and kissed me. I thought the idea was to see who could do that first.”

“No. The idea was to seduce Weasley. Just because you have done it doesn’t mean I can’t still do it.” Blaise had no idea what any of his words meant, he just knew he had to say something.”

“Don’t you think you’re just playing with his feelings at this point?” Theo asked and Blaise felt it then for sure; anger.

“And what the fuck have you been doing?”

They stayed like that, in silent tension looking at each other for answers that would not come. Theo got to his feet and left without another word.

Blaise slept there on the sofa that night. 

The night of the Halloween party Blaise was more determined than ever. Theo had been a prick to him and wouldn’t even look in Blaise’s direction since they argued. But that didn’t matter to Theo, apparently all that mattered to him was winning the bet, so Blaise would focus on that too.

He did everything in his power to keep Ron and Theo apart during the party, which wasn't all that difficult because Ron was showing clear signs of wanting to be with Blaise too. Maybe it was the firewhiskey, but he would laugh at all of Blaise's jokes and touch his arm and give him this  _look_. For a while Blaise even forgot about all his drama with Theo and simply enjoyed being with Ron.

The first chance he got to be alone with him, Blaise didn't hesitate. He pulled Ron into a broom cupboard just outside the Hufflepuff common room where the party was. Blaise was planning on taking his time and enjoy every second before kissing him, but Ron latched onto him the second the door closed and kissed him without a warning. He was warm and intense just as Blaise had imagined, and for a moment it was all bliss until Theo popped into his mind. He suddenly felt really bad about the way he treated Theo the other day, just because he was obviously jealous. Even though he really did like Ron, it wasn't fair to anyone that he acted so petty about it.

"Sorry," he whispered as he reluctantly broke the kiss. "I need to do something. I will explain, I promise." Without waiting for Ron to answer, he left.

Pansy told him that Theo had left the party a while ago, so Blaise headed straight for the Slytherin common room.

"What are you doing here?" Theo asked as soon as Blaise entered. "Come to rub your snogging session in my face?"

"No, I... How did you know?"

He shrugged. "The way you two looked together. It was obvious."

A shiver ran down his spine at the thought of Theo watching him and Ron together.

"Did you kiss him or did he kiss you?" Theo wondered, his voice lowered and his eyes on his hands.

There was no point in lying now. "He kissed me. I took him into the broom cupboard, though."

Theo smiled a little and Blaise's heart skipped a beat. "He's not very patient, is he?"

Blaise took a few steps closer. "No, he isn't."

"I imagine he threw himself at you the second you were alone."

"Is that what he did with you?" Blaise asked. The image of Theo and Ron kissing was one that he had been trying to avoid because he thought it would only make him angrier, but now he just wanted to know more.

"Well, he wanted to. But you know I like to play hard to get." Theo smirked this time.

"You do?" Blaise asked, his eyebrows raised.

Theo gave him a significant look, as if he should know what he was talking about. "Yeah. I do."

Blaise cleared his throat and sat down on the other side of the sofa. "So how did he finally get you to... Give in?"

Theo uncrossed his legs and faced Blaise. "Well... He got really close."

"Did he grab you by the hem of your robes?" he asked, remembering his encounter with Ron just minutes before.

"No," Theo said, his voice heavy. "He put his hand on the back of my head."

Blaise smiled and scooted closer. "I did that to him."

"And then... He leaned down, because he's so much taller than me."

"But not me."

"Yes he is." Theo smiled. "He smelled of firewood, and had this stupid, Gryffindor puppy look in his eyes."

Blaise knew exactly what he was talking about. "And then?"

Theo scooted closer, maybe subconsciously, maybe not, but Blaise didn't care and he moved the final space between them so that their faces were inches apart. All implications about friendship and the bet went out the window when Theo licked his lips before speaking.

"He did something noble and idiotic and told me that if I wanted to wait, we could wait."

Blaise couldn't help the small laugh that escaped his lips. "So playing hard to get doesn't work with Gryffindors?"

"Maybe not. But wrapping your arms around them and saying 'fucking kiss me' does."

Blaise hummed, the warmth from Theo's breath drawing him closer and closer. "Did you like the way he kissed you?"

Theo's eyes flickered down. "Did  _you_?"

Blaise took the lead on at least one kiss that night.

Theo was soft and practically melted into Blaise's touch, his fingers trailing down Blaise's chest until they stopped at his stomach and bunched around the fabric there. Blaise sighed in his mouth and cupped his face, regretting not doing this sooner. Way sooner.

Blaise soon discovered that even though he claimed to play hard to get, Theo was eagerly speeding things up, and though Blaise didn't mind one bit his heart pounded with excitement and nerves when Theo threw his leg over his.

The door opened and Blaise finally understood the fear at the pit of his stomach which he had been too busy to notice.

They broke apart fast but it still felt like an eternity when they saw Ron standing there, his mouth agape and his face pale.

Blaise had no words, he didn't know whether to explain or to lie, to go to him or run away. Apparently, Theo was facing the same dilemmas, so they both remained put.

It took Ron a second to gather himself, his face going from shocked to confused to just... Eerily calm. "What is happening?"

Ron looked like he had had his fair share of drinks, but still sober enough to understand what he had just seen, so it was clear his question was more rhetorical than anything.

“It’s not as it looks,” Theo rushed out.

“It isn’t?” Blaise didn’t know how Theo wanted to play this, but with each passing second it became clear that the truth had to come out eventually.

Theo turned to him. “I mean we kissed, but you like him...right?”

Something about the way Theo said that made Blaise’s chest hurt.

“You like him. And I didn´t mind at first but when you told me you kissed I...” Blaise sighed and looked down at his hands. “I thought it meant I was out and wouldn’t be around either of you anymore. I acted so jealous and pathetic.”

Theo scoffed. “The same way I acted today when I saw you two leave. It’s obvious you make a good couple. I should have just stayed out of it from the beginning.

"No, I-” Blaise was cut off when Ron cleared his throat. 

“Don’t I get a say in this? I’ve been racking my brains for days trying to decide which of you I like better.” He ran a hand through his hair and moved further into the room. “I probably shouldn’t have kissed both of you like that. I’m sorry if that caused problems between you, but I like you both.”

Hearing those words sparked something in Blaise and he just had to say it too. “I think I like you both too.”

Ron chuckled. “You  _think_? You were just snogging the life out of each other.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked awkwardly over to them.” It was rather incredible, actually.”

Theo smiled. “It was. But what do we do with this?” He signaled between the three of them.

Ron sat on the coffee table in front of them. “I don’t want to mess up your friendship. I mean...I would understand if you want me to step aside.”

Theo rolled his eyes. “This is that stupid Gryffindor chivalry again.”

“How was it that you solved that last time, Theo?” Blaise asked his heart racing again. 

Ron glanced at Blaise’s lips briefly. 

Blaise put a hand over Ron’s knee and the other over Theo’s. “We’ll figure it out, I guess.”

“Could we maybe figure it out in the Astronomy Tower?” Ron asked, his cheeks hot red.

Blaise and Theo looked at each other. 

“We definitely know how to pick them,” Theo said, already standing up.

“I’m still mad that you didn’t bring me there,” Blaise said, though he couldn’t stop smiling.

The three of them left the common room with Ron at the lead. He looked over his shoulder at Blaise and smiled. “I’ll  make it up to you.”

Theo leaned on Blaise to whisper in his ear. ”Are we going to tell him this was all because of a bet?”

Blaise shook his head. “Not until we make sure he’s ours.” 

They caught up to Ron and held his hands.


End file.
